Estimation of Yukon River discharge during an ice jam near Dawson City

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering
• Main Authors: Jasek, Martin, Muste, Marian, Ettema, Robert
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 2001
• Subjects: General Environmental Science; Civil and Structural Engineering; Yukon; Dawson City; Dawson; Yukon river
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/l01-050; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/l01-050

The paper presents two approaches used independently to estimate river discharge during an ice jam on the Yukon River near Dawson City. One method entailed the use of large-scale particle image velocimetry to obtain surface velocities, which were extrapolated and integrated to yield a discharge. Videotaping of ice-floe drift comprised the measurement method used for the large-scale particle image velocimetry. The second approach entailed numerical simulations performed with a 1-D ice-jam profile model (ICEJAM). The numerical model incorporates an "island-compensation" technique developed to take into account the difficulty of using 1-D ice-jam profile models to simulate accurately channels with two-dimensional features such as islands and bars. The two approaches yielded closely comparable estimates of river discharge.Key words: discharge, velocity, measurement, river, ice, jam, particle, image, velocimetry, islands.